Erasmus Shalihaxwe
Khomas regional football coach, Risto Shikomba, has refuted claims of favouritism in selecting the team that competed in the 2025 Nedbank Newspaper Cup held in Outjo, Kunene Region.
Shikomba addressed growing public criticism after the team failed to win a single match at the tournament.
Some social media users accuse the technical team of favouring players from specific areas while overlooking talent from informal settlements.
Speaking to the Windhoek Observer, Shikomba said the final squad was assembled through open, constituency-based trials and was not influenced by bias or favouritism.
“The process began with the first phase of trials on the weekend of Saturday, 8 March. We conducted trials for Katutura East, Samora Machel, Windhoek East, Khomasdal, and John Pandeni constituencies. Each was asked to submit 15 or more players,” he explained.
The trials continued the weekend of 15 March for the Moses Garoeb, Katutura Central, Windhoek West, Windhoek Rural, and Tobias Hainyeko constituencies.
A total of 24 players were shortlisted, forming a provisional squad of 40.
“Notably, five players were selected from Windhoek Rural,” he added.
Shikomba said final squad trimming was delayed due to persistent rains in Windhoek, which affected training and created uncertainty, prompting some players to leave for other regional teams.
The squad shrank to 25 by 26 March, but three players later joined the Kunene, Otjozondjupa, and Kavango East teams.
“Our preparation was significantly disrupted. Some clubs refused to release players. Others were injured. We only had two full days to train with a complete squad,” he said.
He also noted that selection was strictly performance-based.
“It was never about location. It was about talent and how players performed during trials. We had one player from Greenwell Matongo, one from Wanaheda, and one from Okuryangava in the final team,” Shikomba said.
Despite the outcome, he maintained that the players gave their best under challenging circumstances.
“We believe we had a strong team. Unfortunately, football is unpredictable, and we couldn’t capitalise on the chances we had,” he said.
